1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a connector terminal engage structure for a wire connector suitable for use in wire harness, etc., and more specifically to a connector terminal engage structure resistant against high temperature.
2. Description of the Prior Art
FIGS. 1(a), (b), (c) and (d) show an example of prior-art connectors, which is disclosed in Japanese Published Unexamined (Kokai) Patent Appli. No. 61-42883.
FIG. 1(a) shows a male connector terminal 101 and a female connector terminal 102. The female connector terminal 102 is formed with a dumbbell-shaped section female contact terminal portion 103 mated with the male connector terminal 101 and two first wire cramping portions 104 and two second wire cramping portions 105, respectively for fixing a conductive wire thereto. Near the free end of the female terminal portion 103, two projecting engage portions 106A are formed. Further, although not shown in FIG. 1(a), another convex engage portion 106B is formed in the female terminal contact portion 103 as shown by the dot-dashed line in FIG. 1(c).
FIG. 1(b) shows a connector housing 110 for housing the two female connector terminal 102 as shown in FIG. 1(a). With reference to FIGS. 1(b) and 1(d), the connector housing 110 is formed with two terminal housing hollow potions 111A and 111B partitioned by a middle fork-shaped arm member 112 composed of two arm portions 112A and 112B, and a pair of symmetrical arm members 113A and 113B extending inwardly from the inner side surfaces of the housing 110, respectively so as to form each fork-shaped arm member in cooperation with back side wall 115A or 115B. The arm portion 112A of the middle fork-shaped arm member 112 is formed with a stepped engage portion 112A-1; the arm portion 112B thereof is formed with a stepped engage portion 112B-1; the arm portion 113A is formed with a stepped engage portion 113A-1; and the arm portion 113B is formed with a stepped engage portion 113B-1, respectively.
Therefore, when the female connector terminal 102 cramped to a conductive wire is inserted into the terminal housing hollows portion 111A from above in FIG. 1(d) as show by a dot-dashed line in FIGS. 1(b) and 1(c), the two projecting engage portions 106A of the female connector terminal 101 are brought into engagement with the stepped engage portion 112A-1 of the arm member 112A, and the convex engage portion 106B of the female connector terminal 101 is brought into engagement with the stepped engage portion 113A-1 of the arm portion 113A, so that the female connector terminal 102 can be elastically supported or sandwiched between the two arm portions 112A and 113A within the connector housing 110.
Here, it should be noted that the reason why the female connector terminal 102 is elastically housed within the connector housing 110 between the two elastic fork-shaped arm members is that the male connector member 101 not accurately aligned with the female connector terminal 102 can be easily mated with the female connector terminal 102 owing to the transversal deformation of the fork-shaped arm members 113A and 112A in either direction within the connector housing 110.
Further, when the inserted female connector terminal 102 is required to be removed from the connector housing 110, a jig (not shown) is used to elastically deform the elastic fork-shaped arm members so that each stepped engage portion 113A-1, 112A-1, 112B-1 or 113B-1 can be moved away from each projecting or convex engage portion 106A or 106B of the female connector terminal 102.
In the above-mentioned prior-art connector terminal engage structure as shown in FIGS. 1(a) to 1(d), however, there exists a problem in that when the connector housing 13 has been left within a high temperature atmosphere for many hours, since the elastic fork-shaped arm members are plastically deformed without elasticity, it is impossible to deform the arm members or move the stepped engage portions of the arm members away from the female connector terminal, even if a jig is fitted into the connector housing.